Thursday was supposed to be calm and fun for the future of the Los Angeles Clippers, as Keaton Wagler is making his NBA Summer League debut.
This hello world moment for Wagler comes on the heels of the former Illini guard getting picked No. 5 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Los Angeles made a great selection, as they wanted to rebuild the franchise into a contender. This pick was also made with the knowledge that the Clippers were going to trade franchise star Kawhi Leonard.
That trade went down nearly two weeks ago, with the Toronto Raptors being the recipient of the future Hall of Famer.
On Thursday, everything came to a halt. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, that trade is now on hold pending the result of the NBA’s investigation into potential cap circumvention by the Clippers and Leonard via former sponsor Aspiration.
NBA spokesperson to @TheAthletic on the Clippers-Kawhi Aspiration investigation.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 9, 2026
“We don’t have a specific timeline for the conclusion of the investigation but expect the firm to finalize its work in the coming weeks."https://t.co/N1hFkPDCBg
The NBA put the ball in the Raptors’ court with the investigation, allowing them to hold off on the trade until the results are revealed. Toronto then came out with a statement on Thursday saying they will wait until the investigation is complete.
Amick also reports that the NBA says of the investigation that they don’t have a timeline for when it will be complete, but that it could be in the coming weeks.
This is huge news around the Clippers’ organization, as they head into the first NBA Summer League game and the intro to their new player, Wagler.
While this is going to be a talking point throughout the game on Thursday night, it shouldn’t hinder the franchise too much in the coming months.
Wagler is still going to play and be great in the NBA Summer League. Even if Leonard somehow ends up back on the Clippers roster, Wagler will still start in the backcourt. I would imagine Leonard goes to the No. 3 spot.
The best thing for the Los Angeles Clippers is to transition to the Keaton Wagler era
Honesty, this couldn’t be worse news for Los Angeles. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, Leonard could come back to a place he doesn’t want to be.
What needs to happen for the Clippers is that this investigation needs to have as little blood on Leonard’s hands as possible. They need him in Toronto so they can start the Wagler era.
Wagler is the centerpiece of this franchise now. Leonard is old news. This news needs to drop and get in the rearview mirror as quickly as possible.
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